Caritas SkF Essen

What Caritas SkF Essen does

Caritas-SkF-Essen gGmbH is a non-profit charitable social services organization headquartered in Essen, Germany, formed in 2018 from the operational consolidation of two Catholic welfare organizations — Caritasverband für die Stadt Essen e.V. and Sozialdienst katholischer Frauen Essen-Mitte e.V. (SkF). The organization operates over 30 directly owned facilities across all city districts of Essen, delivering an integrated portfolio spanning the full life cycle: 11+ kindergartens and family centers, 5 ambulatory nursing centers plus the stationary Caritas-Stift Lambertus and Tagespflege Edith Stein, two hospices (Hospiz Cosmas und Damian plus a new hospice building), the KinderPalliativNetzwerk for children with life-limiting illnesses, stationary and therapeutic youth welfare housing including the Notschlafstelle Raum_58 emergency shelter for homeless youth, refugee housing and integration services, counseling centers (addiction, HIV/STI, marriage/family, sex-work counseling at freiRaum, trafficking counseling at Nachtfalter), and neighborhood meeting points (Treffpunkte) across multiple districts. It also runs cultural and educational programs including the annual GoldStücke school theater festival (400 students from 18 schools) and the FLiZmobil mobile health-promotion program in elementary schools.

The underlying technology is limited to standard social-work methodologies, pedagogical frameworks, and basic digital communication tools (website, podcast distribution via Spotify, YouTube, Vimeo, and Matomo open-source analytics) — there is no proprietary platform, AI/ML capability, or integrated technology stack. Operational delivery is direct: services are provided on-site by employed social workers, nurses, educators, and care staff, supplemented by volunteers. Distribution occurs exclusively through owned facilities, mobile outreach teams, and partnerships with public institutions — no third-party reseller or marketplace channels are used.

The business model is a charitable gGmbH funding model: services are provided free at the point of use for beneficiaries, with revenue generated through statutory social insurance funding (Pflegekassen for nursing care, Jugendamt for youth welfare, Krankenkassen), public institutional contracts with the Stadt Essen, donations from individuals and corporations (Vonovia, LEG, Deutsche Bank, Sparkasse Essen, Kinderstiftung Essen), and church funding via the Bistum Essen (Diocese of Essen) and the Verbandsumlage association levy. The Menüservice (meals-on-wheels) is the only service with direct participant fees. The organization is led by Managing Director Andreas Bierod and Caritasdirektor Prof. Dr. Björn Enno Hermans, with an advisory governance structure including worker (MAV) and disabled-worker (SBV) representation. Operations are strictly confined to the city of Essen in North Rhine-Westphalia.

Name

Caritas SkF Essen

Legal name

Caritas-SkF-Essen gGmbH

Website

https://cse.ruhr

Company type

Private

Founded year

2018

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1,001–5,000 employees

Short description

Caritas-SkF-Essen gGmbH is a non-profit Catholic social services organization in Essen, Germany operating 30+ facilities that provide childcare, youth welfare, elderly nursing, hospice care, refugee support, and counseling to vulnerable populations across all city districts.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Social Welfare Services

NAICS

Individual and Family Services (6241), Services for the Elderly and Persons with Disabilities (624120), Other Individual and Family Services (624190), Social Assistance (624)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300), Services-Home Health Care Services (8082), Services-Nursing & Personal Care Facilities (8050)

akta.pro primary industry

Disability Services & Independent Living Support (BPAGAEAG)

akta.pro secondary industries

Home & Community-Based Services (HCBS) Coordination & Case Management (HSABAIAM), Maternal, Newborn, Child & Adolescent Health (MNCAH) NGOs (HLAJAKAG)

Keywords

• Social welfare services
• Elderly nursing care
• Childcare services
• Youth welfare support
• Refugee integration services

Headquarters

HQ city

Essen

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices4 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Statutory Social Insurance Funding (Pflegekassen, Jugendamt, Krankenkassen): The organization operates as a charitable gGmbH. Primary revenue is generated through statutory funding contracts with public payers (Pflegekassen for nursing care, Jugendamt for youth welfare services), supplemented by donations from individuals, companies, foundations (Kinderstiftung Essen, Stiftung Dein Zuhause hilft, Bistum Essen), and church sources. Services are generally provided free of charge to beneficiaries.
2. Donations and Grants: Cash and in-kind donations from individuals, corporations, and institutional donors support specific projects, facilities, and emergency aid (e.g., Corona pandemic relief, Moria refugee aid).
3. Meals-on-Wheels (Menüservice): Meals-on-wheels service (Menüservice) generates modest revenue from participants.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels10 records

Core offering

Caritas-SkF-Essen gGmbH is a charitable non-profit social services organization operating across Essen, Germany, providing an integrated portfolio of welfare services covering the full life cycle. Core offerings include ambulatory and inpatient nursing care for the elderly, daycare and family childcare, youth welfare residential and counseling services, hospice and palliative care, refugee and migrant integration support, women's protection and counseling, and neighborhood community development — delivered through 30+ directly operated facilities across the city.

Product overview

Caritas-SkF-Essen is a social services organization (gGmbH) that operates as a unified platform of social care services, not a commercial technology product. It provides an integrated portfolio of services across healthcare/nursing, childcare, youth and family services, and social support for vulnerable populations. Key service modules include: ambulatory and inpatient nursing care (Pflegezentren, Caritas-Stift Lambertus, Hospiz), childcare services (Kindertagesstätten, Kindertagespflege), youth assistance (stationary residential care, therapeutic living groups), hospice services, refugee integration, counseling services (family, marriage, addiction), and community development programs. The organization was formed by merging the Caritasverband für die Stadt Essen e.V. and Sozialdienst katholischer Frauen Essen-Mitte e.V. in 2018.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• TheaterSpielWerk: Theatre pedagogical offerings including classroom theatre, the annual GoldStücke school theatre festival, and other theatre pedagogical projects.
• GoldStücke
• verabRedet Podcast
• FLiZmobil
• Glückskinderfonds
• KinderPalliativNetzwerk Essen (KPN)
• Caritas-Stift Lambertus
• Hospiz Cosmas und Damian
• freiRaum
• Die Schleife

Products and services

• Ambulante Pflege (Ambulatory Nursing Care) Ambulatory nursing care delivered through nursing centers across Essen, providing in-home care consultation, trial care, and meal services for elderly individuals needing care support.
• Stationäre Pflege - Caritas-Stift Lambertus Inpatient long-term and short-term elderly care facility operated by Caritas-SkF-Essen.
• Hospiz Cosmas und Damian Hospice providing end-of-life care for severely ill individuals in Essen Borbeck.
• Ambulanter Hospizdienst (Outpatient Hospice Service) Outpatient hospice accompaniment provided at home, in hospitals, and in care facilities for terminally ill individuals.
• Tagespflege Edith Stein (Day Care) Day care service offering daytime assistance and care for elderly individuals.
• Kindertagesstätten (Daycare Centers) Daycare centers for children including 11+ family centers across Essen.
• Kindertagespflege (Family Childcare) Family-based childcare services as an alternative to center-based daycare.
• KinderPalliativNetzwerk Essen (Children's Palliative Care Network) Ambulatory network providing support for families with children, adolescents, and young adults with life-limiting or life-threatening illnesses, from diagnosis through bereavement.
• Jugendhilfe - Stationäre Wohnangebote (Residential Youth Welfare) Residential care services for children and youth including various living groups and therapeutic residences.
• Notschlafstelle Raum_58 (Emergency Shelter for Youth) Emergency shelter for homeless youth and young adults aged 14-21 with street-life focus.
• Integration & Migration Services Integration and migration support services including counseling, transitional housing (Übergangswohnheime), and support for refugees and newly arrived migrants.
• TheaterSpielWerk (Theater Education) Theater pedagogical offerings including classroom theatre, the annual GoldStücke school theater festival, and other theater projects for schools.
• FLiZmobil (Mobile Health Promotion) Mobile health promotion program for children and families focusing on nutrition, exercise, and relaxation, delivered in Essen elementary schools.
• Kinder- und FamilienTISCHE (Family Meal Programs) Free meals and activities including balanced meals, play, exercise, and counseling for families at six locations across Essen.
• Beratungsstelle freiRaum (Counseling for Sex Workers) Counseling center for women engaged in sex work, opened in 2020.
• Nachtfalter (Human Trafficking Counseling) Specialized counseling for women affected by human trafficking for sexual exploitation.
• Ehe-, Familien- und Lebensberatung (Marriage, Family and Life Counseling) Marriage, family, and life counseling for couples and individuals.
• Familien- und Erziehungsberatung (Family and Education Counseling) Family and education counseling, diagnostics, preventive offerings, and therapy for families.

Quantifiable outcome

• 400 students from 18 Essen schools participate annually in the GoldStücke theater festival
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles6 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

14 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Jugendhilfe Essen (jhe)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2026Jugendhilfe Essen (jhe) entered a cooperation with Caritas-SkF-Essen for the GoldStücke festival, enabling additional schools (Ganztagsschulen) to participate. This Kooperation allows broader school participation in the theater education program.
• Partnerschaft für Demokratie EssencoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCaritas-SkF-Essen hosts the Koordinierungs- und Fachstelle (coordination office) of the Partnerschaft für Demokratie Essen, a program funded by the Federal Ministry for Family Affairs (Bundesprogramm 'Demokratie leben!'). The organization administers democracy promotion project funding for Essen-based civil society organizations.
• Caritas Dienstleistungsgenossenschaft in NRW gemeinnützige eG (caritas-cdg.de)coreTechnology or IntegrationProvides the legally required data protection officer (Datenschutzbeauftragter) for Caritas-SkF-Essen as mandated by church data protection law (KDG). Address: Uhlenstraße 7, 33098 Paderborn.
• Stadtteilbibliothek AltenessenminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Stadtteilbibliothek Altenessen (neighborhood library) cooperates with Treffpunkt Süd on the balloon art and literature workshop project for children and youth, including the Altenessener Bücherschrank-Initiative. The workshop culminates in a performance at the Übergangswohnheim Hülsenbruchstraße.
• LEG Immobilien-GruppeminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerLEG Immobilien-Gruppe co-finances the Treffpunkt Bergmannshütte neighborhood meeting point project in Essen and also supported the COVID-19 response through its foundation 'Dein Zuhause hilft' (donating ~€6,000 for learning support, food aid, and assistance programs).
• Vonovia SEminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerVonovia SE is a co-funder of the Treffpunkt Bergmannshütte neighborhood project in Bergmannsfeld and provided COVID-19 emergency support funding. The company's housing stock in Essen creates natural synergy with Caritas-SkF-Essen's social services.
• Stadt Essen (Jugendamt, various departments)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe city of Essen's youth welfare office (Jugendamt) is the primary public contracting partner for Caritas-SkF-Essen's youth welfare services. Multiple city departments contract services including school social work, refugee housing, and community development.
• Malteser Hilfsdienst Diözese EssenminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborated with Caritas-SkF-Essen on organizing humanitarian aid transports to the Romanian-Ukrainian border for Ukrainian refugees, combined with support from Pfarrei St. Gertrud Essen-Mitte and Caritas Flüchtlingshilfe e.V.
• Caritas Flüchtlingshilfe e.V.minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCaritas Flüchtlingshilfe e.V. collaborates with Caritas-SkF-Essen on the Initiative 'Ein Herz für Moria' to raise awareness about conditions in refugee camps and coordinate aid shipments to Lesbos.
• Stadtteilbibliothek Altenessen (Altenessener Bücherschrank-Initiative)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCooperation between Treffpunkt Süd and the neighborhood library's Altenessener Bücherschrank-Initiative, which provided the foundation for the balloon art and literature creative project for children and youth.
• Institut für Stadtteilentwicklung (ISSAB)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerISSAB cooperates with Caritas-SkF-Essen and the Jugendamt on the 'Komma-Reihe' neighborhood development program in various Essen districts (Altenessen-Süd, Vogelheim, Karnap).
• Sparkasse EssenminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSparkasse Essen produced a podcast episode featuring Maria Buenk, head of the KinderPalliativNetzwerk Essen, discussing the service's work with children with life-limiting illnesses — extending reach and awareness through the bank's media channels.
• Grubenhelden (Ruhrpott-Label)OthersGrubenhelden, a Ruhrpott-based local label, designed and supplied stylish new work clothing (shirts and hoodies) for Caritas-SkF-Essen nursing staff, launched on International Nurses Day (May 12).
• GEWOBAU EssenminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerGEWOBAU Essen co-sponsors the Treffpunkt Schulzzwanzig neighborhood meeting point in the Schulzstraße/Huttrop district alongside the Jugendamt and Caritas-SkF-Essen.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves9 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Diakonie Essen: Local Protestant welfare association serving the city of Essen. Most direct municipal-level peer to Caritas-SkF-Essen, operating overlapping childcare, youth welfare, elderly care, counseling, and refugee programs in the same geography under competing contracts from Stadt Essen and Pflegekassen.

Broad incumbents

• AWO Bundesverband: Arbeiterwohlfahrt is one of Germany's largest secular welfare associations, operating nursing care, youth welfare, refugee support, and family services nationwide. Operates parallel service lines to Caritas-SkF-Essen with comparable municipal-contracting models.
• Malteser Hilfsdienst: Catholic aid organization providing ambulatory care, hospice services, refugee relief (including documented cooperation with cse on Ukrainian crisis transports), and youth welfare. Direct functional competitor in nursing and refugee service delivery in Essen.
• Deutsches Rotes Kreuz (DRK): German Red Cross operates elder care, ambulatory care, youth and family services, refugee support, and disaster relief across Germany. Both Essener DRK Kreisverband and federal DRK compete with cse in adjacent service categories within Essen.
• Diakonie Deutschland: Protestant counterpart to Caritas, delivering the same broad spectrum of social welfare, elderly care, youth welfare, refugee, and counseling services nationwide. Direct functional twin of Caritas and primary alternative-welfare provider at federal and municipal levels.
• Caritas Deutschland: National federation of the German Caritas association. Operates the same welfare delivery model across all German states with broader geographic coverage; comparable as the umbrella and structural-adjacent organization to Caritas-SkF-Essen gGmbH.
• Arbeiter-Samariter-Bund (ASB): Major German welfare organization operating nursing, ambulatory, youth welfare, refugee, and social-inclusion services via regional associations. Especially comparable at the regional-assocation level in North Rhine-Westphalia.
• Johanniter-Unfall-Hilfe: Faith-based welfare association operating child daycare, youth welfare, hospice, ambulatory care, and refugee programs nationwide. Comparable service mix and comparable contracting model with German municipalities and Pflegekassen.

Regional players

• Sozialwerk St. Georg: North Rhine-Westphalia-based non-profit social services provider focused on people with disabilities, autism, and complex support needs. Comparable as a peer non-profit social services organization relying on statutory care insurance funding.
• Bethesda Diakonie: Regional North Rhine-Westphalia provider of inpatient and ambulatory nursing care, hospice, and youth welfare under the Diakonie umbrella. Comparable to cse's Pflegezentren, Hospiz Cosmas und Damian, and KinderPalliativNetzwerk service bundles.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCwX6rKc6tC9t_6DZ9U8Z8gQ

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles10 records

Subsidiaries3 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Caritas SkF Essen